Bahia

Bahia, in north-eastern Brazil, is three coffee regions in one. Near the Atlantic it grows irrigated conilon (robusta) with some of the highest yields in Brazil. On the flat plateaus of the west, it grows irrigated, mechanised arabica. And in the Chapada Diamantina highlands, arabica is picked by hand, mostly above 1,050 metres. USDA calls Bahia the leading coffee state of Brazil’s north-east, and in 2026 Conab expects 4.5 million bags.

The short version

• Three regions: the Atlantic coast, the western plateaus and the Chapada Diamantina.
• Mostly conilon: 3.3 million bags of 4.5 million in 2026.
• Brazil’s second robusta state, ahead of Rondônia.
• Chapada Diamantina: highland arabica, a denomination of origin since 2024.
• Oeste da Bahia: irrigated, mechanised arabica, protected since 2019.

Bahia’s three coffee regions

Conab splits the state into three zones:

Zone	Area in production, 2026	Crop, 2026	Yield	Harvest peak
Atlântico (the coast)	48,200 ha	3.30 million bags	68.5 bags/ha	May–June
Planalto (the highlands)	48,850 ha	938,200 bags	19.2 bags/ha	July–August
Cerrado (the west)	6,500 ha	250,000 bags	38.5 bags/ha	June–July
Bahia	103,550 ha	4.49 million bags	43.3 bags/ha	June

Source: Conab, 2026. USDA says most of Bahia’s 130 coffee municipalities are in the far south, the south-west and the Chapada Diamantina. Conab adds that the Atlântico, like Espírito Santo, is turning to machine harvesting.

Chapada Diamantina: highland arabica

The Café da Chapada Diamantina became a denomination of origin on 15 October 2024, covering 24 municipalities including Mucugê, Ibicoara, Piatã, Barra da Estiva and Rio de Contas. INPI’s sheet sets out the rules and the reasons:

• arabica only, and no genetically modified varieties;
• farms at least 850 metres up, and most of the coffee above 1,050 metres;
• north-facing slopes give better sweetness, acidity and body, by evening out temperature swings and catching more sun;
• almost all of it picked by hand, and often dried on covered patios;
• washed or natural processing, and a minimum score of 80 points on the Specialty Coffee Association scale.

Chemical analysis found more lipids, organic acids and chlorogenic acids than usual, the sheet adds, which it links to the region’s pleasant aroma and flavour.

Oeste da Bahia: irrigated arabica

The Oeste da Bahia indication of source, registered on 14 May 2019, covers arabica grown above 700 metres in 11 municipalities of western Bahia, including Barreiras and Luís Eduardo Magalhães. INPI’s sheet describes a modern, high-tech coffee:

• Commercial, irrigated planting began around 1994; before that, coffee was grown for home use, though Barreiras was already selling coffee in the early 20th century.
• About 1,600 mm of rain falls from October to April; in the dry season, irrigation draws on rivers and the Urucuia aquifer, one of Brazil’s largest.
• 22–26 °C, no frost, about 3,000 hours of sun a year and an average altitude of 800 metres.
• Flat Cerrado land, so every stage is highly mechanised; Catuaí Vermelho is the main variety.

Its coffee must score at least 75 points, and INPI describes a pronounced body, positive acidity, light sweetness, a pleasantly fruity flavour and a floral aroma.

Conilon on the coast

Most of Bahia’s coffee is conilon. USDA says Bahia has overtaken Rondônia as Brazil’s second robusta producer thanks to advanced technology and high-performance irrigated farms. Conab’s Atlântico zone, which grows most of it, averaged 68.5 bags a hectare in 2026.

When is it harvested?

From April to August, later in the highlands. Conab’s 2026 calendar for the state shows May (21%), June (32%), July (23%) and August (17%), with the Planalto finishing last: by September only some highland farms were still picking.

Bahia and other Brazilian origins

• Coffee in Brazil: the whole country, its harvest and its figures.
• Espírito Santo: Brazil’s conilon heartland.
• Cerrado Mineiro: high plateau arabica in Minas Gerais.